How do Random Number Generators Work in Online Slots?

Have you ever wondered how online slot games work? Unlike the original slot machine designs which used mechanical parts, online Slots use computer algorithms to determine the outcome of their spinning reels.

These computer algorithms are known as random number generators (RNGs) and make it impossible for anyone to predict the outcome of a spin. They’re an essential element of online Slots, so let’s look closer at just how they actually work.

What is a Random Number Generator?

Before we go into the technical aspects, it’s good to understand a random number generator.

RNGs are computer algorithms designed to produce unpredictable and unbiased outcomes, generating sequences of thousands of random numbers in a second. This is why they’re used in online casino games, where random chance is produced by the software rather than through the action of physical game components.

Each slot game RNG uses a seed number as its starting point, which is then run through a series of complex formulas to generate random number sequences. This means that the numbers aren’t truly random, but they are certainly unpredictable enough to emulate randomness.

How RNGs Work in Online Slots

Whenever a player initiates a spin of the reels – by clicking on the designated ‘spin’ button on the screen – this locks in the current output of the RNG.

A slot’s RNG is running even when the game is not in active use, ensuring that there is no way to influence its outcomes externally. It’s only at the moment when a spin is initiated that the RNG output is used, with each number in the sequence corresponding to the position of a symbol on the reels.

The slot game’s software takes the set of numbers locked in by the spin command and determines where the reels will stop at the end of their spinning animation. This means that the software will know the result of the spin as soon as it begins, no matter how the animation plays out.

Why are RNGs so Important?

With RNGs, online slots would function the way they do now. These computer algorithms are essential for ensuring that the outcome of every spin is completely independent and impossible to predict.

A slot game’s RNG is subject to rigorous auditing before it can be played, with independent regulators ensuring that the algorithm’s output is random and does not produce any patterns.

This means no party can influence the outcome of online Slots spins, as long as the games are properly audited.

The RNG’s major purpose is to ensure players can trust the outcomes of Slots, and other RNG-based casino games. As the outcome of any given spin of the reels is entirely independent of any other, the odds remain the same for any player, no matter the result of any previous spin.

Online Slots can still deliver random outcomes without mechanical parts thanks to RNGs. These computer algorithms are essential to fair play, ensuring every spin has the same odds.